


Set Backs

by cantdrawshaw



Series: Blind!Kara AU [4]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Car Accidents, Disabled Character, F/F, Head Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 08:23:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13119870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cantdrawshaw/pseuds/cantdrawshaw
Summary: Everyone comes together when Lena gets injured at work.Or: Actual care and comfort andrecoveryfor a concussed Lena Luthor, told in four parts.





	Set Backs

**Author's Note:**

> I missed this AU and if they're gonna keep banging Lena on the head in the show, then I'm gonna bang Lena on the head and then let her deal with it at least.

Maggie’s sitting in her car on her lunch break when the report comes in over her scanner. It’s a traffic accident, and while this sounds to be a hit-and-run, it’s still not the type of case a detective of her status needs to be concerned about. She’s about to tune it out when she hears the name of one of the persons involved. She freezes, sandwich halfway to her mouth, as the responding officer requests an ambulance for a name she knows all too well.

She doesn’t even think twice about it. She flips her lights on and puts her car in gear, peeling back into traffic as she floors it. She makes it to the scene of the accident right as the ambulance pulls up, and her heart pounds as she takes in the damage of the car before her.

She ducks around the officer trying to keep the public back, flashing her badge and making her way to where the paramedics are removing the victim from the back seat. One glance at the woman they lay out on the stretcher is enough to make Maggie cry out. She takes in the blood covering the face and the way the figure isn’t moving and sprints the last thirty yards.

“Lena!”

A paramedic stops her before she can get too close. “Do you know her?”

Maggie nods frantically, her normally calm composure cracking slightly. “That’s Lena Luthor. She’s my–” _Fiancé’s sister’s girlfriend._ “Friend. She’s my friend.” Maggie pulls her eyes away from the blood on Lena’s face as they load her into the ambulance. “What happened? Is she going to be okay?”

The woman eyes the badge on Maggie’s hip and softens her voice. “As far as we can tell right now it’s a head injury. The driver’s over there giving the report. He says she was awake briefly after it happened.” One of the other paramedics raps on the still open ambulance doors, and Maggie knows that’s the signal to move. “We have to take her in now. Would you happen to know anyone who could give us her medical information?”

“Yes,” Maggie says. “I’ll come with you and I can get it.”

She climbs in the back and sits on the bench as she pulls out her phone, giving the EMTs space to do their jobs. She calls Alex first, knowing she’ll need the extra time to pick Kara up from CatCo before coming to the hospital. 

Kara sounds frantic when Maggie breaks the news, but she’s able to rattle off Lena’s information as best she can from the top of her head, which Maggie relays to the EMTs. Maggie assures her that Alex is on her way and that she’ll meet them at the hospital.

Lena comes awake with a loud groan shortly after Maggie hangs up. They’re about five minutes from the hospital and Lena’s eyes go wide in fear as she takes in her new surroundings. The paramedic standing by her head is quick to try to reassure her, asking basic questions to see what Lena can answer. She knows her name, the year, even what she had for breakfast that morning, but it’s clear that Lena’s dazed and in pain, her confusion evident as she admits to not remembering what happened after she kissed Kara goodbye that morning.

Maggie announces her presence then, and the fear in Lena’s eyes dissipates slightly as she recognizes her friend. She reaches out a hand and Maggie takes it gently, rubbing over Lena’s knuckles with her thumb. “Alex is on her way with Kara,” she tells her softly. “It’s going to be okay.”

They pull into the drop-off at the hospital then, and the next few minutes are a frenzy of activity as they move Lena inside and start her admittance process. Maggie’s forced to stay in the waiting room and fill out what she can on Lena’s paperwork as the nurses move Lena further inside to be examined. Maggie tries to shoot her once last reassuring smile before she goes, but Lena’s eyes are scrunched tightly closed again, her forehead creased in pain.

Alex and Kara arrive shortly afterward, Kara clutching hard to Alex’s arm as her long cane trails uselessly behind her. Alex guides Kara over to where Maggie’s sitting, and Maggie immediately stands and takes Kara into her arms.

“Hey, Little Danvers, it’s okay. She woke up in the ambulance and she was a little out of it, but she recognized me and she was glad to know you were coming.”

“Thanks for being there for her,” Kara sniffs. She pulls back and takes off her glasses, and Maggie can see her eyes are full of tears. Maggie takes her hand and places it on the armrest of the closest chair, and Kara sits down heavily.

Alex sits down next to her and Maggie grabs the clipboard with the forms she was working on before sitting on her other side. They fill the rest of the information out and Maggie turns it in at the reception counter.

When she turns back around, Kara’s got her head resting on Alex’s shoulder and Alex is whispering softly to her. Maggie decides to give the two a moment and heads to the vending machines to get them all some drinks.

Alex pulls her down to kiss her cheek when she comes back with three coffees. Maggie presses a warm cup into Kara’s hands and watches as her face relaxes slightly as she breathes the aroma in deeply.

A doctor comes to find them about an hour later and escorts them back to Lena’s private room. He explains along the way about concussions and Lena’s symptoms, but Maggie lets Alex listen to the medical jargon and instead focuses on keeping the way clear for Kara. She knows Kara can handle herself, but the hospital is busy and packed and noisy and Kara is already distracted enough with listening to the doctor. Kara squeezes her hand in thanks as they make it to Lena’s room, clearly grateful.

Lena’s asleep when they arrive, the doctor explaining about the pain medication they had given her. She also explains how they want to keep Lena overnight for observation, but if all goes well she can be released the next day. Alex asks a few questions before thanking her, and then they’re left alone.

Maggie takes a closer look at the bed and sees that Lena’s face has been cleaned of all the blood and there’s a bandage at her hairline. She looks small, dwarfed by the bed and the hospital gown they had changed her into.

“Here, Kara,” Alex says, breaking the silence that had fallen over the three of them. “There’s a chair right beside the bed. You can sit right next to her.”

Kara lets her sister guide her to the chair, wringing her hands in the way she does when she’s nervous. “How does,” Kara pauses, licking her lips. “How does she look?”

Alex casts a glance at Maggie, brow furrowed. “Pale,” Maggie answers truthfully. She comes around the bed and takes Kara’s hand, lightly touching Kara’s fingers to Lena’s forehead. “There’re bandages right here, an IV in her left hand. No injuries besides the one on her temple. She was pretty lucky.”

“That’s what the doctor said,” Kara says softly. Her fingers trace over Lena’s cheek, her expression clouded with worry.

Alex wraps her arm around Maggie’s waist and presses into her side, and Maggie can see the same worry reflected in her eyes. Maggie grabs one of each of her Danvers girls’ hands and tries for a bright tone. “At least there’s one good thing I’m getting out of this.”

Both Alex’s and Kara’s noses scrunch in confusion as they simultaneously ask, “What?”

She grins. “Not even Lena Luthor can pull off a hospital gown.”

It gets her an elbow in the ribs from Alex and a slight snort from Kara. “I’m telling her you said that.”

Maggie takes it as a win as they settle in to wait for Lena to wake up.

…

Lena wakes to a blinding pain in her head and her hand warm in someone else’s. She doesn’t recognize the feeling of the mattress beneath her or the fabric that’s pressing against her skin and she fails to recall what happened before she fell asleep. She moans and swallows thickly, trying to focus on the fingers that squeeze hers tightly instead of the nausea that suddenly makes itself known in her stomach as she panics.

“Hey, Lena,” a voice whispers soothingly from her right. “It’s okay. You’re okay. Just relax.”

She manages to crack open her eyes at that and sees Kara beside her, giving her a gentle smile. Lena’s tongue feels thick and heavy in her mouth, but she somehow manages to make it form sound. “Kara? Where are we?”

Her voice is weak and parched, her speech slurred almost beyond recognition. What happened? Was she sick?

She’s even more confused as she sees another hand appear out of nowhere, holding out a cup with a straw pointed towards her. She blinks and the blob the hand is attached to morphs into Alex, Maggie in a chair just behind her.

“Drink,” Alex commands softly, pressing the straw to Lena’s lips.

She does, taking small sips as she wonders why on earth she’s so weak. When she’s done, Alex places the cup on the table beside the bed and informs them all that she’s going to tell somebody that Lena is awake.

After she leaves, Kara takes the hand she’s still holding and kisses it gently before answering Lena’s question. “We’re in the hospital. You were in a car accident earlier and you got a concussion. Do you remember?”

Lena’s about to answer in the negative when her eyes focus in on Maggie. She squints at the detective as she tries to wrack her brain. “You were with me in… the ambulance?” Maggie nods, smiling encouragingly, but the confirmation just makes Lena more alarmed. “Were you in the car with me? Are you hurt too?”

Kara shushes her and keeps her lying flat with a hand on her shoulder, but the real deterrent from Lena sitting up like she planned is the throbbing that starts up in her skull at just the slight movement. She groans and places her arm over her eyes as spots dance across her vision.

When she’s able to open them again she sees two very worried faces looking back at her.

“I’m fine,” Maggie says. “I heard you were in an accident while I was on the streets and I was able to get there before the ambulance could take you away. From what I heard, you were in the car with your driver when somebody rear-ended your vehicle and then sped away. Your driver was fine but you were unconscious and bleeding when I made it to the scene. I would have stuck around for specifics, but I figured you needed-”

Maggie’s interrupted by her phone ringing, and although it isn’t very loud, the ringtone grates on Lena’s ears and she winces. Maggie shoots her an apologetic look and tries to muffle the sound against her jacket. “It’s work,” she explains. “I’ll be right back.”

Kara nods as Maggie glides around the foot of the bed and out of the room. Lena’s in too much pain to follow the movement, so she looks back at Kara as she admits quietly, “I don’t remember what happened. Or even where I was going.”

The realization makes tears spring to her eyes for some reason that’s utterly baffling to her. Her brain isn’t working right and it’s making her panic, but she isn’t one to cry so easily.

Kara seems to sense her distress and rubs her arm reassuringly. “Shh, that’s okay; I promise. We can figure it out later. Right now, you just to need to rest and focus on getting better.”

Alex comes back in with a nurse before Lena can say anything in reply. The nurse asks her some questions and goes over a few things about her condition, adjusting whatever’s in the IV Lena just now notices she’s hooked up to.

Maggie returns just as the nurse leaves. There’s a dark scowl on her face and she pulls Alex out into the hallway to talk with her in private, but Lena’s eyelids are too heavy at that point to be aware of much beyond that. She falls back asleep as Kara gently strokes her cheek, the pain receding as the drugs kick in.

 

James and Winn stop by sometime while she sleeps, but they have to leave for work before she wakes the next morning. Kara proudly presents her with the get-well teddy bear James bought for her, and Lena can’t help but cuddle with it immediately, the fur soft and comforting on her cheek.

She gets released around midday. Kara and Maggie and Alex spent the night at the hospital with her, but they all assure her that they’re fine when she tries to apologize for it. She has to admit that she’s extremely glad they’re there with her, as all the medical talk and check-out procedures and people swirling around the hospital are too overwhelming for her in her current state.

The midday sun is also too much when Maggie wheels Lena’s chair outside the hospital entrance, causing her to flinch slightly and close her eyes against the intense glare.

Alex must notice because she’s whispering something to Kara and then Kara’s glasses are being threaded over Lena’s ears. Lena tries to protest, as she knows Kara prefers to wear them when they’re out in public, but she realizes she can open her eyes fully now, the pain abating slightly, so she gives Kara a quiet thank you instead.

They make it to Kara’s apartment without too much hassle. Lena will never admit it, but she doesn’t mind the way the other three women baby her, holding open doors and speaking in low voices and smiling as they fuss over her. The rest of the day passes by in a haze of pain medication and sleep. She’s been banned from work for at least the next two weeks and she can’t even argue about it, not when she can hardly stand up without the world tilting before her eyes. So Lena does just as the doctors (and her friends and girlfriend) order her to: she rests.

 

They wait a full week and a half after the crash before telling her.

It’s the second day Lena’s managed to make it to dinner without any signs of a headache, where she’s clearheaded enough to hold meaningful conversations with Kara and send off a few emails from her phone to check how her company’s doing without her.

Alex and Maggie come over for dinner – as they have been since Lena got out of the hospital and after Kara insisted they go back to their own apartment and their own bed after they stayed on Kara’s couch the first couple nights to help take of Lena. They’re halfway through the pizza they order when Maggie gets a solemn look on her face. She casts a glance at Alex and waits for Alex to nod before turning to Lena.

“I don’t know if you remember,” Maggie starts, and Kara stops eating long enough to grab Lena’s hand underneath the table, as if she anticipates that Lena’s not going to like this. “When you first woke up in the hospital, we were talking a little, and then I got a call from work?”

Lena nods, only wincing slightly, because she does remember that much.

“Okay, well it was my station calling, because they knew I was with you. They were able to catch the guy who hit you after getting a couple witness statements. All the witnesses said it looked like the crash was deliberate, that this big truck gunned it while your car was stopped at a red-light and just plowed into you and sped off. They caught the guy just sitting in his truck with the front bumper all dented in a few blocks from the scene. He didn’t resist arrest and all he said was: ‘Is the Luthor girl dead?’”

Lena gulps as she takes in what Maggie’s telling her. She looks at Kara, whose face is downturned, and then to Alex, who’s gritting her teeth as she listens to her girlfriend. “So it wasn’t an accident?” Lena asks hoarsely.

Maggie shakes her head. “He admitted it was premeditated. He followed you that day when you got in the car from L-Corp with the intent to do you harm. The guy had no priors, and as far as we have been able to tell, no connection between you or your family. It’s looking like a hate crime at its finest, but we’re still not sure about the motive.”

Lena meets Maggie’s gaze as she continues. “My captain wanted you to come in immediately so you could see if you could ID the guy, but I convinced him to hold off until you were feeling a little better. Your brain is still sorting itself out and he’s facing charges for confessed attempted murder; he’s not going anywhere soon.”

Lena takes in a shaky breath and tries to process. She’s quickly enveloped in Kara’s arms.

“I told you it was too soon,” Kara hisses at Maggie.

Lena presses her face into the fabric of Kara’s shirt, her wound giving a slight throb as she thinks about how much worse it could have been. “No, it’s okay. Should be used to it by now, considering who my family is,” she says, her words muffled by fabric. She pulls away to look at Maggie. “I’ll come in tomorrow with you. I’ll try to help as much as I can.”

Alex comes to sit on the other side of Lena, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve been talking with L-Corp’s head of security about upping some of your protocols. Of course, it’s all up to you what you decide to do, but I think there are some extra precautions you could be taking. Your security is very secure when it comes to the company itself, but it’s lacking a little on your own personal safety.”

“Okay,” Lena swallows. “Thank you. I’ll be interested in what you’ve come up with. I’ll admit to becoming a little lax ever since things have died down with my mother.”

Kara speaks up then, pulling Lena closer to her. “And I’m here for you. Always.”

Lena snuggles into Kara’s neck, holding on tight. “What more could I ask for?”

 

Maggie escorts her to the precinct the next day, but Lena doesn’t know the guy she views through the two-way mirror. Maggie assures her that it doesn’t change anything about the case, and Lena leaves soon after, not wanting to look at the guy who hurt her for too long.

…

It’s three weeks after the accident and Alex is in the middle of analyzing a foreign substance in her lab when her phone rings. She answers it without looking at the caller ID, keeping her eyes on the reaction bubbling in the beaker before her.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Alex?” The voice is tentative and somewhat hoarse and it takes Alex a couple seconds to place it.

“Lena?” she asks, experiment forgotten for a moment as she stills, attention honing in on the phone in her hand. “Is everything okay?”

She hears Lena’s throat clear over the line, but it’s a few moments until Lena answers. “Not exactly,” she says, and that’s enough to get Alex off her stool as she rips the gloves from her hands and peels off her goggles. She motions to one of the lab assistants to take over for her as she ducks into the hallway.

“Lena? Are you still there? What’s wrong?”

“I hate to ask you this because I know you’re working, but I tried Maggie and she didn’t answer and I don’t know what else to do,” Lena continues somewhat breathlessly. Her voice is low and barely coming over the line, causing Alex to have to strain her ears to hear it.

Alex speaks softly and calmly. “Lena honey, can you tell me what’s going on, please? You know I’m always here to help you, whatever it is.”

She hears Lena take in a stuttering breath. “I’m at work and I have a headache,” Lena says finally. “I don’t have any of my pills with me and I want to go home, but I don’t want to take a company car because I haven’t been in one since… _since_ and I’m scared because everything feels fuzzy again right now and I don’t trust myself in a cab and I want to call Kara but I don’t want to worry her and I don’t–”

Alex cuts her off before she can ramble any further, sensing Lena’s hysteria level rising. The elevated emotions are a side effect of the concussion and the one Alex knows Lena absolutely hates the most.

“Hey, hey, hey, Lena, it’s okay. You don’t need to explain anything to me. You’re still recovering from a traumatic brain injury that you got after someone followed you from the very same building you’re in now. It’s okay if you’re afraid to put yourself in the same situation again. And it’s okay if you want a friend to come and help. I’m on my way to get you, okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” Lena hums. Alex swears it’s almost a whimper.

“All right. You just take some deep breaths and relax as best you can until I get there. Lay down if you can. I know the pain is bad, but try to stay calm.”

“Okay,” Lena says quietly. “Thank you.”

Alex smiles warmly, even though Lena can’t see it. “It’s no problem. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

 

Lena’s secretary gives Alex a relieved smile when she steps off the elevator on Lena’s office floor.

“I was hoping someone was on their way,” she says quietly, motioning to Lena’s closed door. “I tried to make sure she was as comfortable as possible, but she asked me to finish up some of the paperwork she was doing and closed the door, so I wasn’t sure she actually called anyone.”

“She did, thankfully,” Alex says. “I’ll take her home and make sure she gets some rest.”

Alex slips quietly inside the door, blinking as her eyes adjust from bright lights to a dim room. Lena’s lights are off and the shades are drawn low over her floor to ceiling windows, the room quiet. It takes Alex a moment to locate Lena, but then she takes in the form at the far end of the sofa and realizes it’s her friend.

Lena’s back is turned towards Alex, her heels discarded haphazardly on the floor. Her knees are tucked up tight to her chest, her eyes hidden in the crook of an elbow. Even in the darkness, Alex can tell that her face is drawn and pale, and she worries for a moment what she should do if Lena’s already asleep.

She places a hand on Lena’s shoulder and keeps her voice as low as she can. “Lena? I’m here. You awake?”

She’s relieved when Lena moves the arm from her face and turns her head slightly, meeting her gaze with bleary eyes. “Hey,” she whispers.

“Hey,” Alex says back. “Ready to go?”

“Yes.” Lena sits up, her movements a little shaky. Alex is quick to grab her elbow as she smooths out her skirt and stands on wobbly legs.

The journey outside is mostly silent, Alex taking as much weight as Lena needs. After getting her safely in the car and closing the door, Alex takes a moment to send a quick text to Maggie to let her know what’s going on and then dials Kara. The call goes to voicemail, so she leaves a short message asking Kara to call her back as soon as she can.

They make it to Kara’s place – Kara _and_ Lena’s place, Alex reminds herself – without incident, Lena collapsing on the couch as soon as they make it inside. Alex goes to the kitchen for a glass of water and finds the pill bottle Lena needs sitting on the counter, so she takes both to the living room and helps Lena take the medication.

“Do you want to change into some pjs?” Alex asks after Lena hands back the empty glass. “Or lay down in bed?”

Lena just makes a noncommittal noise and sinks deeper into the cushions, so Alex grabs the blanket from the back of the couch and carefully places it over her.

“Okay, just sleep. I’ll be here if you need anything.”

Alex closes the curtains on all the windows before she sits down at the island in the kitchen and powers up her tablet to work on some of the files she’s been meaning to catch up on. She makes sure to stay quiet, so she’s startled when her phone rings about an hour after Lena falls asleep.

It’s Kara calling her back, and Alex moves out into the hallway to answer so she doesn’t disturb Lena. She explains what happened and quickly assures a worried Kara that she doesn’t need to come home early.

“I’ve got her. She took her meds and fell asleep about an hour ago. I’ll watch her until you get home.”

“Okay,” Kara sighs. “I’ll be there as soon as I finish up for the day. Thank you so much for going to get her, for taking care of her.”

“You don’t have to thank me. You know I love you both. Now finish work and get home safe so you can be here when your girl wakes up.”

“You got it.”

…

Lena wakes up just as Kara’s finishing up with her dinner. There’s a groan and some shifting from the direction of the living room and then a sleepy voice calling her.

“Kara?”

Kara swallows her last bite of food and makes her way over to the couch. She reaches out a hand for Lena to take and intertwines their fingers. “Hey, sleepyhead. Feeling better?”

Lena pulls Kara down next to her and leans into her side, mumbling something incoherent. Kara feels her warm breath on her neck as Lena nuzzles into her shoulder. “What time is it?” she asks.

Kara brings her arm up in front of her and presses the button on the side of her watch. An electronic voice sounds off the hour. “7:23 P.M.,” it says.

“It’s 7:23,” Kara repeats, joking.

“You’re silly.” Lena chuckles, her words still slurred with sleep. “Did I make you come home early from work?”

“Alex told me not to. She stayed until I got home,” Kara tells her, rubbing her hand along Lena’s thigh. “I stopped on the way and got takeout for dinner. I figured you wouldn’t be that hungry so I got you chicken soup. I can go heat some up if you want.”

It takes Lena a bit to answer, and Kara can’t help but wonder how much pain she’s still in. “Sure,” she says finally. “I don’t think I can eat much, though.”

Kara untangles herself and stands up. “That’s okay. Something is better than nothing. I’ll be right back.”

She comes back a few minutes later with a steaming bowl and a spoon, passing them over when two hands reach out to take them.

Lena manages to eat over half her soup before she passes the bowl to Kara to finish up. She does so gladly, and then asks Lena, “Want to take a bath?”

“That sounds amazing. Will you join me?”

Kara smiles softly. “I’d love to. Give me five minutes and I’ll get everything ready.”

She grabs their robes from the bedroom before she makes her way to the tub and turns on the hot water. She grabs their favorite scented bubble bath and adds some to the rising water, swirling it around a little to make sure it’s nice and frothy. She hears Lena slip into the room and close the door just as the water reaches the perfect level, so she turns off the tap and stands.

“We’re all set. Is the lighting okay for you right now?”

Lena simply nods as Kara starts unbuttoning her shirt, gently helping her undress. Her own clothes are thrown off with much less care, and she steps into the tub first. The water is just shy of being too hot, and it feels wonderful as Kara sinks down and holds out her arms. She knows just how much Lena likes to be held in moments like this and is only ever happy to oblige.

Lena latches on to both her hands as she joins her in the water, settling between Kara’s legs as she lets out a relaxed sigh. She brings her knees up and twists slightly so her side is pressed against Kara’s front, her head resting in the crook of Kara’s neck. Her hand dips and trails through the water before it comes to rest against Kara’s chest as Lena lets out another little sigh. The moment isn’t sexual, but it’s intimate and Kara hopes Lena feels at least half of the comfort that suddenly washes over her as they just relax.   

Lena moans as Kara brings a hand up to the back of her head, fingertips beginning to scratch at her scalp. Kara kisses the top of her head, careful to avoid her injury. “Sorry you’re not feeling good.”

Lena curls up tighter against her at that. She speaks in a quiet, defeated voice. “I thought I was getting better. That I could go back to work like normal.”

“You are,” Kara reassures her. “And you’ll be able to. You’re healing from an awful head injury and you’ve been doing so great in such a short amount of time. Recovery is always filled with backward-step days that make you think you haven’t made any progress, but I promise you are and you’re going to keep doing so. It just takes time. And you have a wonderful staff and all your friends to help you out until you’re back to one hundred percent.”

“I know,” Lena whispers. “Thank you.”

Kara kisses her again, this time on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Kara starts rubbing soap onto Lena’s back and shoulders to try to further soothe her, and they stay in the bath until the water grows lukewarm. Lena seems to be blissfully relaxed as she steps out onto the bathroom tiles and instantly gets wrapped in her fluffy bathrobe. Kara takes her hand and leads her to the bedroom, helping her change into her comfiest pajamas.

Lena climbs into bed as Kara changes into her own PJs. She lets out a confused noise when Kara immediately goes to join her. “It’s still early, isn’t it? You don’t need to come to bed with me if you’re not tired.”

“I thought I’d read for a bit,” Kara says, grabbing the book that’s sitting on her nightstand. She runs her fingers across the braille on the cover – _The Art of Racing in the Rain_ , one of her all-time favorites – lovingly stroking it. “You can turn the lights off and sleep.”

She hears the click of the lamp on Lena’s bedside as Lena complies, but then a head plops down in Kara’s lap instead of on the pillow beside her. Kara feels something soft join Lena on her lap and knows she’s clutching her bear.

“Is that the dog book Alex got you for your birthday?” Lena asks.

Kara shifts so Lena can have more space, her fingers automatically tangling in silky hair that’s still warm from the bath steam. She laughs lightly. “Oh, Lena, this is _so_ much more than a dog book. I still can’t even imagine how Alex got a braille copy.”

“Well, I don’t think I can sleep just yet,” Lena says, pulling the covers further up Kara’s legs and over herself. “Will you read to me?”

Kara smiles, opening the book and shifting so she can rest it on her legs. “Of course! I’ll start from the beginning.”

Lena snuggles into her, thumb tracing patterns over Kara’s hipbone, and Kara begins to read.

“ _’Gestures are all that I have; sometimes they must be grand in nature…’”_


End file.
